Film Review: War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017)

If War For The Planet Of The Apes is the ultimate conclusion then it is easily one of the greatest film trilogies ever made. Caesar, the leading ape, has gone through a lot of pains and hardships to protect his fellow apes in the two previous parts, “Rise” and “Dawn“. Now the “War” in the continuity is the final showdown of the survival of the apes led by the old Caesar against a rogue faction Alpha-Omega led by the ruthless Colonel (Woody Harrelson).

The common factor between all the three parts is the dependency of survival of the creatures on the shoulders of the humans who are considered by the apes the worst of its kind, who believes are the one who destroys and fight against each other and the apes have to pay the price. And it is somehow unfortunately true. Animals, involve or not, are the victims who painfully die in the war or battle started by us humans.

And that is what I genuinely liked about this final part that the film showed a very ugly naked truth about the existing political scenario. Despite being a film focused on the animal survival, the film shows an intolerable fascist army who are here to bring an end to their kind. Begins a depressing state of torturing their kind under the American flag with the beginning of the anthem, that is an agonizing pain and misery on the apes to be watched. The apes become slaves of the army just like us humans are to the technology.

“War” is a dystopia alarming the rise of the revolt. Spectacular provocation is that there is no woman in the whole movie but a young mute girl for a reason. Secondly, the whole casting is white. I am confused if showing a rogue and fascist white army against the apes was intentional.

Besides, the film is just a remarkable human-animal story mentally projecting and testing Caesar’s behavior and relation towards good and bad humans once again like the previous two films. Director, Matt Reeves, has brilliantly completed Caesar’s life phases with emotions and drama. The trilogy is a complete life-story and understanding of a real ape and consequences of living in a cruel world.

The musical score, visual effects, film and sound editing has made this film live in a special place. Andy Serkis has many unforgettable contributions to the cinema and Caesar is his another masterpiece. “War” is a superior show in all the departments.